


Please Don't Leave Me

by InkExchange



Category: VIXX
Genre: Angst, But Happy A Lot Too!, Cheating, Engagement, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Hakyeon Is A Slut, Holidays, Humor, Leo Hanging Out With A Cat, M/M, One-Sided Relationship, Plot Twists, Sad, Sexual Humor, Suicide, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-06-10 14:43:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 11,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6961156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkExchange/pseuds/InkExchange
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trigger Warning!!!! (Eventual Suicide) </p><p>Sanghyuk meets a stranger on New Years Eve and an instant attraction is formed. Hongbin tries to avoid breaking too many hearts. Hakyeon falls for his absolute opposite, and he might be rejected for the first time in his life. Jaehwan just wants to spend time with his friends, but nothing goes as planned. Taekwoon finds a kitten on the street and visits it every day. Wonshik is enjoying his youth.<br/>The six unsuspecting boys go through hell to try to live their dreams, no matter the cost. It's not all sugar and rainbows in the real world. Hearts shatter and people get hurt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

His hold on the railing tightens as tears start streaming down his face. 

'It’s all my fault.' 

The city below him is busy with people who will never know him or his depressing story. 

'I should have told you sooner.'

Raising his head, he looks up at the starry sky with glistening eyes. 

'I’m sorry.' 

A strong wind pushes against his back, threatening to throw him over the railing. He embraces the gust with open arms, not nearly as afraid as he should be. 

'I’m so selfish.'

He climbs over the railing carefully, his toes dangling over the edge of the skyscraper. 

'I’m sorry.' 

He looks down again. The fear hits him as he studies the street directly below him. This was it. All he ever does is destroy the lives around him. This was the only way he could make up for lying to, using, and breaking his friends. 

'I’m so sorry.' 

With one staggered breath, he steps off the ledge. 

He closes his eyes as he plunges to the ground. Right before he hits the pavement, his life flashes before his eyes. He recalls the innocent smiles, the jealousy, the sacrifices he made, the secrets he kept, the hugs they shared, the tears they shed, the hands he held, the intense desires, and the promise he broke. 

'I love you.'

'I love you so much.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the beginning of an emotional roller coaster ride! I bet you're wondering who this chapter was about. Well, I'm not telling! But feel free to guess in the comments below.
> 
> I'm sorry if my grammar/spelling is bad. I'm the only one editing this and I'm not gifted in the area.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story! The next chapter is done and will be posted soon! <3


	2. January 1st, 2014

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanghyuk and Jaehwan celebrate New Years Eve at a night club.

“I’m going to get some drinks.”

It was the last thing Jaehwan had said before disappearing into the crowd of people at the club. Sanghyuk knows he should have stopped his friend from leaving only five minutes before midnight on New Year's Eve. Now, Hyuk is panicking because Ken is supposed to be his shield come midnight. 

Sanghyuk has seen enough movies to know that the second it becomes New Year's Day, everyone kisses the person closest to them. He isn’t exactly looking to participate in the tradition though, and neither is Jaehwan. Which is why the two of them planned to have each other’s backs when the time comes. 

Of course Ken has to disappear at the most dangerous of times. 

It doesn’t help that Hyuk’s afraid to look for Jaehwan too. If he moves, it might earn him unwanted attention and he really doesn’t want a sweaty stranger to try to kiss him. Instead, Sanghyuk decides to stay frozen where he stands at the back wall, watching the time count down on a tv overhead. 

“Hey.”

Hyuk turns to the person who had spoken to him, desperately hoping it was Ken, only to be devastated to see it was a guy he doesn’t know. He isn’t really devastated though, seeing as the stranger happens to be overwhelmingly attractive. 

“Hi” Hyuk replies dumbly. 

The stranger, with brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a button up shirt with jeans, smiles at the words. Hyuk would deny that he ended up staring at the man’s dimples way longer than any person should. 

“What are you doing here all by yourself?” he asks, paying no mind to the obvious staring. 

Hyuk straightens up at the question, “I’m not alone.”

The man’s smile falters a little. 

“What? Were you hoping to kidnap me or something?” Sanghyuk asks sarcastically. No matter how attractive the man is, he still wants to be left alone until Ken comes back. 

“No. But if you were alone I’d want to keep you company.”

Hyuk snorts, “I don’t hang out with creepy people in clubs.”

“You think I’m creepy?!” he asks as if offended. 

“A normal person would have told me their name by now” Hyuk reasons, not really paying attention to the conversation anymore. Offhandedly, he tries to spot Jaehwan in the crowd, but it’s no use. 

‘Where are you?’

“My name’s Hongbin.”

“Huh?” Hyuk asks in confusion. 

“I’m Hongbin” he repeats with a small laugh, “What’s your name?”

Before Sanghyuk can answer Hongbin, the crowd starts cheering even louder and confetti shoots down from the ceiling. Soft lips press against his unexpectedly, and Hyuk gets lost in the gentleness of the kiss. He closes his eyes and returns the action subconsciously. 

Hyuk opens his eyes at the same time Hongbin steps back. They are both covered in silver and gold confetti strips, which makes Hyuk laugh at the cheesiness of what just happened. 

“My name’s Sanghyuk.”

Hongbin’s dimpled smile reappears and he looks like he is going to say something but at the sight of another college student walking towards them, with two drinks in hand, he runs off instead. 

Hyuk turns to the arriving brunet and starts laughing again. The drinks in Jaehwan's hands are almost empty, most likely from being constantly bumped into, and his “nerdy” clothes and circle glasses made him stick out like a sore thumb in the club. 

“Gah!” Jaehwan exclaims dramatically, “It took hours for me to order in this place! Everybody kept trying to get in my pants. I mean, I understand where they’re coming from, but they could at least try to have some decency.” 

“Oh? Is that what took you so long?” Hyuk teases. 

Ken shakes his head with a cheshire grin, “You’ll just have to take my word for it.”

Sanghyuk takes what is left of his drink from Ken and downs it in one go. “Thanks anyway.”

Jaehwan shrugs, “What are friends for, right?” 

“Did you sneak off to kiss someone I don’t know about?” Hyuk asks, suddenly feeling curious. Maybe Ken actually does have some game. 

“Me? What about you? Who was that guy you were talking to?” 

“His name is Hongbin. He sort of came out of nowhere and kissed me...”

Jaehwan raises his hands to his face in mock concern, “AWWW! Did my poor baby get his mouth virginity stolen from him!?” 

“I’ve kissed before!”

Ken sticks his tongue out playfully and the two somehow find themselves engaged in a tickle war in a club full of horny, grinding young adults.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the beginning of the end. Haha I don't know what I'm talking about. 
> 
> Anyway, you might have noticed the chapter title is a date. This is what every chapter is going to look like, minus the epilogue. The date of the chapter is the date in the chapter and the story will be spread out through three years (each chapter representing a different month). Hopefully, that makes sense. 
> 
> So this chapter was kind of cute, cheesy, and weird. I imagine the early chapters are going to be the same type of way. Eventually things will get darker though, so be prepared. 
> 
> Lastly, I want to thank the people who left kudos and feedback on my work! The fact that people are reading this and liking it encourages me to update more.  
> Thanks! <3


	3. February 14th, 2014

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hongbin falls asleep in his class.

Hongbin is stirred from his slumber when he feels something nudge his side. His eyes open slowly to reveal his professor at the front of the room, in the middle of a psychology lesson. The man’s voice drones on and on, reminding Hongbin why he had fallen asleep in the first place. 

“Are you awake?” a quiet voice asks from beside him. 

Hongbin looks over at his best friend, Leo, with a yawn. 

“Yeah?”

He waits for the blond to say something, not surprised when no words come. Leo doesn’t speak or make expressions much. After a while of the two staring silently at each other, Leo finally tilts his head to direct Hongbin’s attention somewhere else in the classroom. 

Sure enough, one of his female peers is looking his way. When Hongbin’s eyes lock with hers, he expects her to look away flustered, but she only smiles. 

Hongbin turns back to Leo, “So a girl’s staring at me? Tell me something I don’t know.”

“It’s Valentine’s Day.”

“Oh...” 

Hongbin completely forgot what day it was, which was shocking since he absolutely hates the holiday. Usually he would skip school to avoid the countless confessions he’d no doubt receive. He hates breaking hearts and he knows that he’ll probably have to today. 

It isn’t that he’s opposed to dating. Hongbin actually loves the idea of dating, but he is waiting for his soulmate. He knows it sounds ridiculous. How is he supposed to find his soulmate, if they even exist, when he doesn’t give anyone a chance. Simple. He has read about soulmates all over the internet and he knows that when soulmates meet, there is a mutual, intense attraction between the two almost right away. 

In other words, Hongbin is looking for love at first sight.

“Class is dismissed for today. Remember to have your projects done for the next lesson” the professor announces.

Hongbin jumps to his feet, grabbing his belongings as fast as possible. He gives an apologetic smile to Leo before power walking out of the classroom. He really wants to avoid any of his secret admirers. 

As he moves through the university, Hongbin spots a familiar face in the throng of people. The student is tall with platinum blond hair and brown eyes. He is walking alongside a brunet with giant glasses. The two laugh as they walk, and Hongbin admires the blond’s big smile. 

The blond, feeling as if he is being watched, looks over at him in surprise. Hongbin smiles and waves at him and the other shyly waves back. 

Hongbin feels his heart flutter at the gesture. 

“Sanghyuk” Hongbin whispers, recalling what the blond had said at the club. 

A spark of determination rushes through Hongbin as he watches the two students walk away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry everyone! The next chapter will be longer! These first two chapters were just a quick setup but the story is going to start picking up soon. Ok cool.   
> But seriously, enjoy the happy (soon fluffy) chapters while you can.


	4. March 3rd, 2014

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hakyeon meets some new people. One person in particular, gets his attention.

“He told me to sit by him at lunch today!” Hongbin exclaims happily to his two friends. 

 

“Who?” Leo asks.

 

Hakyeon rolls his eyes, “The boy he’s been talking nonstop about for the past month!  _ Who else _ ?” 

 

“His name is Sanghyuk” Hongbin corrects, “Not the  _ boy _ .”

 

“Well the two of you act like little kids the way you pass notes in class. Did you ask him if he wanted to be your boyfriend yet? Did he check yes or no?” Hakyeon teases.

 

Hongbin sputters at the question, “No!”

 

“So where is he anyway?” Hakyeon asks. 

 

Hongbin points to a table outside where three other students are sitting. Before Hakyeon can come up with another snarky remark, Hongbin skips over to the group like a schoolgirl. Hakyeon and Leo follow him hesitatingly. 

 

“Is it okay if my friends sit here too?” Hongbin asks the platinum blond. 

 

“Sure. There’s plenty of room” he says, “My name’s Sanghyuk, but you can call me Hyuk for short.”

 

“My name’s Wonshik or Ravi” says a student with short black hair, wearing a red hat backwards. He’s manlier than Hyuk but he seems a little goofy. 

 

“My name is Hakyeon, but N works too.”

 

“Leo.”

 

Hongbin shakes his head in amusement, “His real name is Taekwoon. He doesn’t talk much.”

 

“I’m Jaehwan. Some people call me the cute main vocalist, others call me Kenjumma. But if those titles are too long, I also go by Ken.”

 

“Main vocalist of what?” Ravi asks with a quirked eyebrow. 

 

“And why are you so obsessed with the word  _ ajumma _ ?” Hyuk adds. 

 

Hakyeon is too dazed to hear anything else after that. The instant he laid his eyes on Ken he became frozen in time. Jaehwan is beautiful. Sure, he looks like a total nerd with his Harry Potter type glasses, tucked in shirt, and khakis, but N is blown away. Maybe it’s Ken’s soft features, round chocolate eyes, good physique, or something else entirely. But Hakyeon knows that he wants him. 

 

“Are you going to sit?” Hongbin asks Hakyeon suddenly. 

 

N snaps out of his fantasizing, only to feel awkward because he is the only one still standing. He sits down in the last seat available, unfortunately not next to Jaehwan, and starts eating his lunch. 

 

Hakyeon can hear the students chatting it up but Hakyeon busies himself with eating his food and stealing glances at Jaehwan whenever he can. 

 

“So where did you two meet?” Ravi asks Hongbin and Hyuk. 

 

“At a club” Hongbin says. 

 

“Oooo! How scandalous!” Ken acts stunned. 

 

“It wasn’t like that!” Hyuk tells the people who don’t already know the story, “Ken was with me! He’s just trying to be funny!”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” Jaehwan pouts childishly. 

 

Hakyeon feels his cheeks flare up at the adorable action. 

 

“Hey are you okay? Your face is really red” Hongbin asks Hakyeon with concern. 

 

Hakyeon tenses at the question, feeling embarrassed. ‘Why do I have to be so obvious!?’ he thinks bitterly. 

 

“No, I’m fine” he says with a forced smile. 

 

Seeing the looks of doubt around the table pushes Jaehwan to lean across the surface and place his hand against Hakyeon’s forehead. If it was anyone else, Hakyeon would have been annoyed, but it’s Jaehwan. This means that Ken is actually paying attention to Hakyeon and maybe even cares about his well being. He doesn't even find it strange that Jaehwan is so comfortable touching someone he just met. 

 

“You’re a little hot...” Jaehwan says as he feels Hakyeon’s forehead for heat. 

 

“You’re  _ very _ hot” Hakyeon says in a low, seductive whisper that only he and Jaehwan can hear.    

 

Jaehwan tilts his head in surprise, bringing his hand back to his side. Hakyeon is impressed by the reaction he gets. It seems like the younger student doesn’t even care about the flirtatious comment at all, as he joins his friends in another conversation. 

  
Hakyeon isn’t used to this. He is a  _ very _ attractive person. He always gets who he wants, when he wants, and he wasn’t expecting Jaehwan to be any different. ‘Maybe I was too subtle?’ Hakyeon thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I just want to thank everyone who reads, comments, and leaves kudos on this fanfiction! <3
> 
> Now that everyone's in the story I can actually start writing the things I've been looking forward to writing. lol


	5. April 6th, 2014

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaehwan celebrates his birthday with his friends.

“Happy birthday to you~!” Hongbin, Hakyeon, and Taekwoon start singing. 

Jaehwan covers his face as if he’s embarrassed, which he isn’t. He loves being the center of attention. 

“Happy birthday to you~” the singing continues as Sanghyuk and Wonshik walk a cake over to Jaehwan. It’s a small cake for six people, with white and pink frosting and 22 candles threatening to fall out of the pastry. Jaehwan tries not to laugh at the overly dorky smiles on his friends’ faces. 

“Happy birthday dear Jaehwan~! Happy birthday to you~!” the song concludes and Jaehwan blows out all of the candles in one go. 

“So, what did you wish for?” Hyuk asks as he removes the candles. 

“If I tell you it won’t come true!” Jaehwan reminds him.

“You actually believe that?” Ravi questions.

“It’s actually a very common belief. In fact, even I believe it” N defends Jaehwan. 

Ever since the two groups of friends met, they’ve been hanging out together a lot. Hongbin and Sanghyuk are almost inseparable, but they’re just friends. When Hongbin isn’t around Hyuk, Jaehwan actually really enjoys his company. Hongbin is very playful and he laughs at all of Ken’s jokes. 

Taekwoon is abnormally quiet and expressionless. Jaehwan likes it though. He has a lot of fun trying to get the older male to smile or laugh. It’s risky though. When Taekwoon gets annoyed he becomes violent. 

Hakyeon’s a little different. He’s very clingy. Jaehwan doesn’t mind the random hugging and touching, but it’s weird when Hakyeon only does it to him. Also, N really likes to make it awkward by whispering sexual innuendos all of the time. When Hakyeon isn’t trying to get Ken’s attention, he’s fine. Although, Ken thinks that the older student is a little full of himself. 

“I still can’t believe you live in a place like this!” Hongbin says after everyone is settled at the table and eating their cake.

Jaehwan shrugs, “It’s just an apartment.”

“Just an apartment!? This place is huge! Almost all of the university students live in the dorms and here you are living in a palace!” Hongbin continues. 

“Apartment” Jaehwan corrects. 

“Are you rich or something?” Hakyeon asks with a sly smile. 

“His dad runs a hospital so he makes a lot of money. Jaehwan is supposed to take over once he retires” Wonshik explains. 

Jaehwan maintains a bored expression as he adds “Since I don’t want to take over, he tries to bribe me by paying for all of my stuff.”

“Wow” Hongbin gapes.

Hakyeon leans closer to Ken, with an over exaggerated look of compassion on his face, “Why don’t you want to run the Hospital?”

“He’s expanding the hospital system overseas so I would have to travel a lot” Jaehwan says, “And I don’t want to leave you guys behind.”

“You don’t have to worry about us” Hyuk speaks up, “We’d visit you a lot and keep in touch!”

Jaehwan goes quiet as he gets back to eating his cake. He already knows that what Hyuk says is true, but it’s not enough for him. 

Sanghyuk, starting to feel uncomfortable in the suddenly uncomfortable atmosphere, gets up to throw his paper plate away. 

“I’ll come with you! I might get lost in this place!” Hongbin says as he jumps to his feet with his own plate in his hands. 

The two leave the dining room and Wonshik clears his throat. 

“So those two are extremely close” he says. 

Hakyeon laughs, “Yeah, they’re going to be a couple very soon if they aren’t already.”

“They’re just friends. Hyuk would tell me if they were dating” Jaehwan says without a doubt in his mind. Sanghyuk and him were best friends. They always told each other everything. 

“Yeah, you’re probably right” Hakyeon agrees, as he takes a sip of his coke. 

“So should we do presents now?” Ravi changes the subject. 

Taekwoon nods, taking out a small box from his pocket and setting it on the table.

“Mine’s in the car! I’ll go get it” Ravi laughs as he runs out of the room. 

“Mine’s right here” Hakyeon says as he places his hand dangerously high on Jaehwan’s inner thigh. 

Jaehwan jumps out of seat in shock. ‘That was close!’ he thinks to himself. 

Hakyeon stares up at him innocently and Jaehwan gives him a quick glare. “I’m going to go get Hongbin and Hyuk. They’re taking way too long.”

With that, Jaehwan spins on his heel and walks out of the room. He’s surprised to see that they aren’t by the closest garbage can. ‘Where could they be?’

He walks down his hallway and checks the bedrooms, though he doesn’t know why they’d be there, and the bathrooms. He comes up empty handed. 

He backtracks, making his way to the living room. Upon reaching the cozy space, he freezes in his tracks. 

Sanghyuk and Hongbin are curled up on the couch in an embrace. Their eyes are closed as they kiss each other passionately. They have no idea that Jaehwan is there. 

Jaehwan tears his gaze from his friends and steps back in the hall to gather his thoughts. 

His heart clenches in pain and he has no idea why.


	6. May 11th, 2014

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taekwoon, Wonshik, Jaehwan, and Hakyeon celebrate their graduating from College.

‘How did I end up here?’ Leo thinks as he sits in the private karaoke room. 

 

It’s a dumb question since he already knows the answer. Earlier in the day, Taekwoon and his friends graduated from College. Jaehwan had suggested that they all go out somewhere to celebrate and everyone else agreed. 

 

Everyone except Sanghyuk and Hongbin. 

 

A week after Jaehwan’s birthday party, the two announced that they were a couple. Taekwoon was happy to hear the news, but he wasn’t expecting his best friend to distance himself from anyone that wasn’t Sanghyuk. Whenever the group decided to hang out, the pair would always have some sort of an excuse to get out of the event. 

 

Like now. 

 

Taekwoon wasn’t the only one who was annoyed by the behavior though. Wonshik and Jaehwan were just as upset about it, if not more so. Hakyeon was too distracted to care. 

 

Shouting, disguised as singing, brings Taekwoon back from his thoughts. It’s Wonshik. 

 

When they first got to the Karaoke room, everyone was taking the singing seriously but after ten minutes it erupted into chaos. They were just trying to make each other laugh and Leo lost interest a long time ago. 

 

Clapping starts up as Ravi finishes his song choice and Hakyeon starts searching through the options. 

 

“We should sing a duet” N says to Ken with excitement evident in his tone. 

 

“Again?” Jaehwan asks in disbelief. They already sang six duets. 

 

“Yeah, why not? It’s fun.”

 

Leo rolls his eyes at the conversation. It’s painfully obvious that Hakyeon has a crush on Ken. He almost feels bad for his friend because it’s just as obvious that Jaehwan isn’t interested. 

 

Taekwoon doesn’t feel bad though. Maybe if Hakyeon actually wanted a real relationship out of it he would, but all Hakyeon wants is sex. 

 

“Fine” Ken gives in. 

 

Hakyeon jumps with joy as he selects the song  _ Troublemaker _ (Hyunseung and Hyuna). Leo’s actually a little satisfied when they sing the song well. Anything’s better than the screaming from minutes ago. 

 

Hakyeon takes the female lines and Jaehwan the male’s. They even add in some choreography from the music video. Halfway through the song Jaehwan takes over the female parts, as Kenjumma made an appearance. Hakyeon didn’t mind and easily switched to the other part. 

 

Leo watches the performance silently with a neutral expression on his face. He notices that Wonshik is clapping to the beat and laughing constantly. Taekwoon starts to wish Hongbin was there. 

 

Taekwoon never fits in when it comes to socializing but Hongbin would always be there for him. He was hoping that Hakyeon would have his back today, but he was in his own little world. Ken and Ravi don’t know Leo well enough, so they usually assume he’s in a bad mood. 

 

“Leo, do you want to go again?” Hakyeon asks after he finishes his duet. 

 

Taekwoon gets up and takes the remote from his friend’s hand. 

 

“What are you going to sing?” Hakyeon questions eagerly. 

 

Leo scrolls through the song list. 

 

“Oh he’s not responding! Such a bad boy! I love it” Hakyeon says playfully, earning a laugh from Ravi.

 

Taekwoon finally selects the song  _ Eyes, Nose, Lips  _ (Taeyang). 

 

He starts off a little timid, despite the fact that he already sang in front of the others recently, but halfway through the first verse he’s putting forth all of his effort. It’s not that he’s trying really hard to sound good or better than the others, it just happens when he closes his eyes and gets swept off his feet by the beautiful instrumental. 

 

His voice is soft and delicate like a feather and everyone in the room stops messing around to listen to him. He doesn’t need to look over his shoulder to know that they’re sitting on the edge of their seats, as they too get lost in the music. 

 

When he finishes his selection the room explodes with applause again. But within seconds Hakyeon and Jaehwan are picking songs they can make silly. 

 

As Taekwoon goes to sit down and maybe take a nap, because he’s too polite to leave and to rude to pretend like he’s amused, Wonshik stops him. 

 

“Hey can I talk to you outside?” 

 

Leo is surprised by the proposal. ‘What could he possibly want to talk to  _ me _ about?’

 

“Sure” Taekwoon tries to reply, but as the other two start screeching notes, his quiet voice is left unheard. 

 

Wonshik is able to read his lips though and walks out of the private room and into the hallway. Taekwoon follows him and once the door is shut, the unbearable howling becomes a muffled hum. 

 

“You have a beautiful voice” Wonshik compliments out of nowhere. 

 

“Thanks” Leo says with a shrug. 

 

Ravi keeps quiet for a moment, Leo has no idea why, and then he says with more confidence, “You should take advantage of your gift.”

 

Taekwoon cocks his head in confusion. What was that supposed to mean?

 

“I mean... Well” Ravi stumbles over his words, looking more than a little embarrassed, “What I mean to say is that I like to compose songs and I need someone to sing the words since I’m more of a rapper...” 

 

Taekwoon is caught off guard by Wonshik’s words. He’s charmed that someone thinks he’s so talented but Ravi isn’t the one he wants to hear it from. 

 

‘Someone who ruins masterful songs can’t be any good at composing’ he thinks to himself.

 

“So what do you say? Do you maybe want to make a song with me?” Wonshik asks with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. 

  
Leo shrugs, “I’ll have to think about it” and walks back into the noisy room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about this super late update! I was hoping to post a chapter every day but last week was a complete mess for me. Finals, graduation, and a funeral to top it off doesn't give me a lot of time to write. 
> 
> Hopefully you guys didn't forget about this lame fanfiction! I'll try to be more consistent with my posting again from here on out! A THOUSAND APOLOGIES!


	7. June 15th, 2014

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group of six go to the beach to hang out. It is summer after all!

“You’ll never get me!” Sanghyuk declares as he starts skipping through the water. 

 

Wonshik laughs as he chases his friend, determined to dunk his head in the water that he, Hyuk, and Hongbin are playing in. It didn’t matter if they graduated college and were now focused on getting long term jobs, the group of six would always find time to act like five year olds together. 

 

Sanghyuk was actually the one to suggest they go to the beach. Apparently he felt a little guilty for not hanging out with his pals for over a month. Wonshik doesn’t hold a grudge though. He doesn’t want to spend a perfectly fine day being mad at someone, especially not when that person is making an effort to be nice. 

 

It doesn’t take long for Ravi to catch up to Hyuk, and Hongbin assists him in pushing down the head of their youngest friend. They don’t keep him underwater for very long, obviously because they don’t want him to drown, and when they release their hold on his head, Sanghyuk bursts to the surface panting heavily. 

 

“You jerks!” he yells, but there isn’t any anger behind his words. 

 

Wonshik and Hongbin just laugh and the three start to splash each other. During their water battle, Ravi glances over at the beach to see what the others are doing. 

 

Taekwoon is, unsurprisingly, building a sandcastle by himself and Jaehwan is talking animatedly about something as Hakyeon listens from where he sits in the shade. 

 

“They’re always together!” Hongbin exclaims, “I bet that Jaehwan is starting to like Hakyeon. It’s about time.”

 

“I doubt it” Hyuk says with a laugh, stopping his splashing so that he can focus more on the conversation.

 

Hongbin raises his brows in question, “Why?”

 

“Ken can’t swim so he doesn’t like being in water and Hakyeon doesn’t want to be in the sun because he doesn’t want to tan” Ravi explains, “They’re just hanging out because they don’t have any other real options. Leo’s not much of a talker.”

 

“Oh” Hongbin muses, “So Ken can’t swim? Is he afraid of water?”

 

“He can’t swim but he’s not afraid. He just doesn’t like it” Hyuk says with a mischievous smile, “Why? Do you want to mess with him?” 

 

Ravi’s face lights up at the idea, “ _ I  _ want to!” 

 

“Okay! I’ll go over to him first. If we all approach him at once, he might suspect us!” Hongbin says as he begins swimming towards the shore. 

 

Wonshik and Sanghyuk watch as Hongbin approaches Jaehwan and Hakyeon. Hongbin’s mouth is moving, but they’re too far away to hear what’s being said between the three. It seems to take forever, but eventually Hongbin gets close enough to Jaehwan and suddenly his arms wrap around their older friend. Jaehwan takes a second before he struggles and Ravi and Hyuk rush over to help Hongbin. 

 

“Let go of me!” Jaehwan pleads desperately as Hyuk grabs hold of his flailing arms.

 

Ravi ignores the plea as he pushes Jaehwan closer to the water. 

 

“HELP ME!” Ken cries out to Hakyeon, his body twisting around in hopes of escaping his three devious friends. 

 

A look of worry flashes across N’s face but it’s soon replaced with a sad frown. “Sorry. I wish I could” he says. When it comes to Hakyeon, his complexion will always come before anyone else. 

 

Out of nowhere, Taekwoon appears!

 

A glint of hope sparks in Jaehwan’s eyes but it’s quick to change to fear when he realizes that Taekwoon isn’t on his side either. 

 

With four people working against one, they are easily able to lift him into the air. His struggling is close to pointless when each person is holding onto a limb of his and they carry him to a shallow part of water and toss him in at the count of three. 

 

Somehow, Ken is able to plug his nose right before he splashes into the water with a not so manly shriek. 

 

“Yeah!” Ravi cheers, “We did it!” 

 

He turns to give everyone a high five, confused when he sees that Taekwoon isn’t there anymore. 

 

Jaehwan resurfaces loudly as he spits water out of his mouth and wipes his eyes. Luckily, his friends were nice enough to dump him in a spot where the water only reaches his waist. 

 

Ravi, Hyuk, and Hongbin wait anxiously to see how Ken will respond to their little stunt, none of them wanting him to be mad at them. 

 

Once Jaehwan has calmed down, he looks at his friends as though nothing had even happened. “So how are you guys doing?” he asks in a high pitched voice. 

 

Wonshik, being the mature person he is, splashes Jaehwan in the face. 

 

Ken flinches when the water meets his unprotected eyes. He turns away from the trio and starts rubbing them again, ignoring their laughter. 

 

“I hate you guys” he announces, but everyone knows he doesn’t mean it. 

 

“You love us!” Hyuk says with a wide smile. 

  
Ken shakes his head in annoyance, “Don’t remind me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter immediately after watching VIXX TV Episode 24, so that's why this chapter's kind of weird.   
> Believe it or not, this was only partially a filler chapter. Some character development did occur and we're getting closer and closer to drama.  
> Truth be told, I don't have any idea what's in store in the next chapter but the one after that is going to be really fun! 
> 
> If you haven't seen VIXX TV Episode 24, here's a link. WATCH IT! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlBZvmgJlH8


	8. July 20th, 2014

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group spends more time together.

“This is the spot!” Hakyeon announces to the others. 

 

The place he chose is a distance away from the overly crowded area in the field they’re in. The grass is dry and there aren’t any trees to block their view of the sky. It’s no surprise that the spot is great, seeing as N is a perfectionist. 

 

“Agreed” Ravi says, as he lays down the giant blanket the six brought along. 

 

Hongbin sets down a basket filled with snacks and sodas and everyone sits down on the blanket in preparation. 

 

Ravi takes a cola from the basket and sips on it as he stares up at sunset. The sky is a gorgeous mix of pink and orange and he isn’t the only one that takes his phone out for a picture of the sight. 

 

“How many people do you think are here?” Sanghyuk asks. 

 

“At least a million!” Jaehwan replies enthusiastically. 

 

Wonshik smiles to himself as the conversation unfolds. It’s starting to feel more normal again within their group. Sanghyuk and Hongbin aren’t as “busy” anymore and try to spend more time with their friends. It makes Wonshik think of old times. 

 

Ravi glances at Taekwoon, who’s sitting on the edge of the blanket eating chocolate. He knows that Leo isn’t one to express himself with words, but Ravi can’t help but think that he doesn’t like him. Taekwoon is always quiet around everyone, but he always seems to make an effort to stay away from Ravi. 

 

‘ _ Maybe I shouldn’t have asked him to make a song with me.. _ .’ 

 

“Ew. They’re at it again” Hakyeon says in disgust, ripping Wonshik from his thoughts.

 

Hongbin and Sanghyuk must have snuck off at some point, because Wonshik follows Hakyeon’s gaze to where they’re standing underneath a tree. Their arms are wrapped around each other and they switch from kissing to admiring the sun go down. Wonshik feels envious and sick all at once. 

 

“They’re always clinging to each other” Jaehwan groans, “It’s annoying.”

 

“Yeah! I hate clingy people” Hakyeon agrees wholeheartedly. 

 

Wonshik, Jaehwan, and even Leo give him a disbelieving look. 

 

N doesn’t notice though, as he gets to his feet and says, “I’ll tell them to stop being gross.” 

 

Ravi waits for Hakyeon to be far enough away from them, before he turns to Jaehwan with an empathetic expression. 

 

“When are you going to tell him?” Wonshik asks.

 

Ken stares at the ground while his fingers pick at the grass. “I don’t know yet. I thought he’d figure it out on his own after a while.” 

 

“You could always give him what he wants” Ravi suggests.

 

“Oh ha ha” Jaehwan deadpans, “Like I want to get with a sleazeball. Who knows what he might have.”

 

Wonshik laughs at the comment, but he stops himself when he hears an unamused snort. Ravi doesn’t need to look to know it’s Leo. 

 

Wonshik instantly feels bad for laughing. Hakyeon is his friend and a million times closer to Taekwoon. He shouldn’t be talking about him behind his back, and especially not in front of Taekwoon. 

 

“Sorry” Jaehwan apologizes to Leo, “Hakyeon’s a really nice guy and I like him as a friend. That’s all.” 

 

Taekwoon seems to accept the apology, since he goes back to eating his candy. 

 

“Sorry about that” Hongbin says with a laugh when he, Hyuk, and Hakyeon return, “It’s hard to resist each other.”

 

“We definitely didn’t mean to sneak off like that” Hyuk adds, staring at his boyfriend with adoring eyes. 

 

“So the honeymoon stage still isn’t over, huh?” Jaehwan muses while he continues to pick at the grass, refusing to look at anyone. 

 

“It’s fine!” Hakyeon tells the couple, “just please try to keep the PDA to a minimum.”

 

Suddenly, a loud thunder like sound erupts from the sky. 

 

Wonshik’s head swivels around to face the the rainbow of colors that sparkle in the now dark sky. The brightness soon fades and more colors and crackles replace them.

 

It’s a tradition for Hyuk, Ken, and Hongbin to see the fireworks every year, and each time is better than the last as far as shows go. 

 

His mind becomes dazed when he watches the light show. The splashes of color that wash over the sky are so dazzling that there’s just no way to focus on anything else. That is until he hears a rare voice.

 

“Wow” the voice exclaims quietly, and Ravi’s sure he’s the only one who can hear it. 

 

He tears his gaze away from the fireworks to look at Taekwoon. His head is tilted back, revealing all of his smooth neck. His lips are slightly parted in awe and his dark eyes reflect the glowing lights. 

 

Ravi feels his heart skip a beat and he knows he needs to stop staring. 

  
Whatever is going through his mind now needs to stop, because nothing good can come from it.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the next chapter is going to be really fun! (As I said before)
> 
> Also, as a side note. Only 2 people have told me their guesses as to who commits suicide. Both said Hongbin. How interesting... I wonder if they're right. 
> 
> If you feel the mood, please share your prediction as well! I like to know what my readers are thinking.


	9. August 30th, 2014

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deep down, Hakyeon knows she likes him. He chooses to ignore it.

His hips push forward in slow, sensual thrusts that she welcomes in a desperate manner. Her legs wrap around his waist and a hand reaches up to brush the sweat slicked hair off of Hakyeon’s forehead. He looks down at her with half lidded eyes, taking in her always beautiful form. 

 

She stares back adoringly, with longing in her chocolate brown eyes. Hakyeon breaks eye contact to admire her red-violet hair, curled loosely and bobbing up and down with their steady rhythm. 

 

“Hakyeon” she moans in a voice as sweet as honey. 

 

He closes his eyes and starts to increase the pace, knowing that she’s finally ready to give him what he needs. 

 

Normally Hakyeon likes to stick with one night stands, but Eunyoung is his one exception. They were friends since kindergarten and they both share a very sexual aura, so it felt natural for them to hook up on several occasions. It was okay though, because Eunyoung knew there were no strings attached.

 

Hakyeon liked rough sex just as much as he liked teasingly slow foreplay and everything in between, but Eunyoung especially enjoyed a slower, more intimate type of intercourse. Hakyeon does it because they’re friends, but the way she looks at him is startling sometimes. 

 

Deep down, he knows she  _ likes _ him. 

 

He chooses to ignore it. 

 

He moves deeper and faster inside of her and her moans are reduced to breathless whining. Eunyoung’s head tilts back in pleasure and her mouth opens to let out a short cry as she reaches her climax. Hakyeon follows suit after a few more thrusts and then collapses next to her on the bed. 

 

Hakyeon stares up at the ceiling with his chest rising and falling rapidly with exhausted breaths. 

 

“Can I stay here tonight?” 

 

Hakyeon turns to Eunyoung in surprise, “You already know the answer.”

 

“But we’re friends. Doesn’t that make a difference?” 

 

Hakyeon frowns at the question, “If you stay over, what’s to stop it from happening again and again? If you want to stay here you can sleep on the couch.”

 

Eunyoung reaches out to caress his face gently. Hakyeon leans into the touch involuntarily and a glimmer of hope flashes in her dark orbs. “What are you so afraid of?”

 

Hakyeon’s eyes narrow at the question. He doesn’t like where this conversation is going. 

 

“What’s so wrong with falling in love?” she asks, in an angelic tone.

 

He turns onto his side so that his back is facing her, “You should leave.”

 

He feels the mattress shift and the sheets rustle, making him guess that she’s currently sitting up. 

 

“Why are you like this?” she questions, a hint of anger clinging to the words. 

 

He remains silent. 

 

“Hakyeon, please answer me! I want to know what you’re thinking. Please.”

 

“Eunyoung, don’t.”

 

“Don’t what? Don’t try to understand my closest friend?” Eunyoung asks bitterly, “Stop treating me like a stranger.” 

 

“Eunyoung” Hakyeon warns. 

 

“I love you!” she confesses weakly, “Don’t you feel something towards me too?” 

 

Hakyeon grits his teeth in frustration. He should have known this was coming. He should have ended things with Eunyoung a long time ago. 

 

He slowly shifts into a sitting position and turns to Eunyoung with a serious expression on his face, “We’re friends with benefits. That’s all.”

 

A look of distress crosses her features and she shakes her head back and forth in denial. “No... You’re lying” she tries to convince herself. 

 

“I don’t love you.”

 

She bows her head, shoulders trembling and Hakyeon stretches a hand out to her for comfort. As his palm barely meets her shoulder, one of her hands slaps it away. Her head comes back up to reveal the tears running down her cheeks.

 

“Don’t touch me!”

 

Hakyeon cringes at the sight of his best friend crying. 

 

“I can’t believe you’re still acting like a horny teen! I thought you’d be ready to settle down now that you’ve graduated, but I guess I was wrong” she practically spits at him. 

 

“I wasn’t forcing you to stay with me!” Hakyeon retorts angrily. She agreed on no strings attached, so the rejection shouldn’t have come as such as a shock. 

 

“When are you going to grow up!?”

 

“When are you going to stop letting your emotions get the best of you!?” Hakyeon counters, “Stop falling for every guy you meet and stop being so pathetic! I don’t love you back! So what? Move the fuck on!” 

 

A heavy silence falls over them and Hakyeon immediately regrets what he said. Eunyoung’s watery eyes are glued to the sheets.

 

“Eunyoung... I’m sorry” he tries to apologize, “I didn’t mean that.” 

 

“No. You’re right. Everything you said about me is true” she whispers in response. 

 

Hakyeon watches with sad eyes as she gets to her feet and gathers her discarded clothes from around the room. 

 

“I can’t do this anymore” she says without meeting his eyes, “I need some time away from you.”

 

She gives him one last glance before leaving the room. 

 

Hakyeon doesn’t move from his spot on the bed, even after he hears the front door close. He can’t help but take her words to heart. He knows he has trust issues and gets bored with people easily so long term relationships never appealed to him. He knows he should try to date someone before he misses his chance, but no one ever seemed good enough. 

 

Lee Jaehwan was the only one he could picture himself with.

 

Jaehwan started to give him thoughts of dating a few months after they met. Hakyeon had never come across a person he wanted so badly, even after it became somewhat apparent that Ken wasn’t interested in him. For some reason though, Hakyeon continued to try to get his attention. He didn’t really understand his infatuation with Jaehwan though. Yes he was attractive and had a great personality, but so did a million of other people in the world. 

 

The only thing that came to mind was that Jaehwan was the only person to not return his feelings instantly. Hakyeon sometimes wondered if he was just playing hard to get or if he genuinely didn’t like N in that sense. 

  
Either way, Hakyeon was sure that he could get Jaehwan to see things his way if he waited long enough. Until then, he would continue to have his flings and try to move past Eunyoung’s drama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this happened. It's a bit different in mood than the previous chapters. I like it. I hope you guys like it too. 
> 
> If you don't know who Eunyoung is, she's from the group two x. She's been on some shows with N irl, so if you haven't seen them together... check it out. They'd make a cute couple. Also Hakyeon "made" her cry once on a show so it helped inspire me to write this! Okay thanks.


	10. September 2nd, 2014

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taekwoon meets a kitty cat to cheer up his overly stressful life.

Taekwoon sits on a wooden bench, watching the river in front of him with tired eyes. He had woken up early in the morning, only to find out that his scheduled audition had been pushed back two hours. The location was too far from his studio apartment to walk, and he couldn’t afford to take any more taxis than necessary. He had no choice but to stay out and wait. 

 

He didn’t have a stable job so money was a constant struggle. 

 

After he graduated college, Taekwoon decided to pursue a singing career. Like most artists, he had to start out small. He was able to get a few weekly gigs at bars, but the pay was as bad as the audience. As it turns out, drunk people are terribly rude critics. 

 

After a month of that, he started auditioning at entertainment companies. He was always turned down, but Taekwoon was determined to become a trainee. 

 

Sighing, Taekwoon looks into his now empty cup of coffee. He remembers when he used to drink ten cups a day, but now he can only buy one a week. It makes him want to cry. 

 

Leo gets to his feet and saunters over to the nearby trash bin. He discards the cup and turns back to the bench. Maybe he should take a nap while he waits. 

 

His eyes widen in delighted surprise when he sees a cat sitting on the wooden surface. It’s an orange tabby with a white underbelly and paws. Leo can’t help but squeal at the sight. 

 

He loves animals. 

 

Taekwoon wants to do nothing more than run over to the feline and hug it, but he doesn’t want to startle the animal. Instead, he takes small steps towards the bench. He reaches his arm out so that the cat can sniff him. He thinks that cats like doing that to sense for threats, but he doesn’t really know. 

 

The cat stares at his outstretched digits for a moment before padding over and giving them a thorough sniff. Leo can feel a quirky smile spread on his face. Normally he would be extremely conscious of his expressions, but when animals were around he couldn’t control himself. 

 

The cat looks up at Taekwoon with owlish green eyes, gold specks grouped near the pupils. He reaches his hand past the cat’s head and pets it’s back. The fur is soft and well kept and Leo finally spots the collar around the cat’s neck. 

 

The cream collar has a silver tag attached to it in the shape of a heart. Written on the tag is  _ Lily _ . Leo can only assume it’s the cat’s name and since Lily is a girl name, the cat is most likely female. 

 

“You’re pretty cute” Leo compliments the cat as he sits down next to her. 

 

She instantly brushes against him and places her front paws on the thigh closest to her. She kneads and purrs as Taekwoon continues to pet her smooth pelt. 

 

Since the cat has a collar and isn’t dirty, she must belong to someone. Taekwoon wants to help find her owner, but he’s already spent a lot of his time petting her. He needs to get to the audition no matter what.

 

It breaks his heart to leave Lily alone in the dangerous city.

 

“If I ever see you again, I promise you’ll be my top priority,” he tells the tabby, meaning every word. 

 

She sneezes in response and Taekwoon lets out a girlish giggle. 

 

After petting her a little while longer, Taekwoon finally stands up and checks his phone. He has twenty minutes to get to the audition, which is pushing it, but he decides to take some more time saying goodbye to his new friend anyway. 

 

“Bye Lily. I’ll miss you.”

  
She watches him, still purring lightly. He waves at the cat and starts hurrying off towards his erratic future. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cat is important. Don't be fooled. 
> 
> Anyway, this chapter was super short so I'm going to put up the next chapter before I update my other stories! You're welcome!! :D


	11. October 17th, 2014

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trouble in paradise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is all over the place! I'm so sorry for this!

Sanghyuk walks into the apartment, not even bothering to knock. He slams the door shut, kicks off his shoes, and flops onto the sofa. 

 

“You really should give me a heads up when you’re coming over,” Jaehwan says as he walks into the living room, “What if I was in the middle of  _ something _ ?” 

 

Sanghyuk lifts his face off of the cushions to give his friend a disgusted look, “I don’t want to know what you’re implying.”

 

The brunet shrugs and sits on the arm of the couch. “So what brings you to my humble abode?” 

 

Hyuk, even in his horrible mood, can’t help but smile at his friend’s nonchalance. They’ve known each other so long that they are basically brothers. In middle school, he was rejected by his crush and practically broke into Ken’s house. Back then, he almost killed his friend with a heart attack, but now Jaehwan was used to the random appearances. 

 

“It’s Hongbin,” he starts. 

 

The older male rolls his eyes, “What? Trouble in paradise?” 

 

“Oh stop! You’re just jealous that I’m dating and you’re not” Hyuk teases his friend.

 

“Or maybe everyone is sick of the PDA” Ken counters, pretending to gag. 

 

“Prick,” the younger says, playfully punching him. 

 

Jaehwan laughs at the insult and asks, “So are you going to vent or not?”

 

Sanghyuk gets into a sitting position and takes a deep breath. “Hongbin and I have been dating for a few months now, and I’m ready to take the next step. We should have met each other’s parents a long time ago, but he always changes the subject whenever I ask him about it. Honestly, I don’t know if he wants to be with me or not...”

 

“Why do you think he doesn’t want to be with you? A lot of couples get nervous about meeting each other's parents.”

 

“This past week, he’s been really distant. He doesn’t answer most of my calls and texts, and today he canceled our date at the last second. Do you think he’s cheating on me?” Hyuk asks, eyes wide and full of worry. 

 

Jaehwan turns away from Hyuk for a moment, a strange expression on his face. He looks like he’s thinking really hard about something. After a while, he turns back to Sanghyuk, happy as usual. 

 

“I don’t think you should jump to conclusions. Hongbin just got a job and from what he’s told me, it sounds pretty stressful. Maybe you should give him some time to adjust before you start questioning your relationship.”

 

Sanghyuk tosses the advice around in his head until he finally decides to stop worrying so much. 

 

“You know, for someone who’s been single their entire life, you give pretty good dating advice,” Hyuk says.

 

“It’s only good advice if it ends up being right” Jaehwan points out, ignoring the insult within the compliment. 

 

“Well, thanks for listening to me talk about Hongbin. I know you probably don’t like him that much.”

 

Jaehwan visibly tenses at the comment, “Why wouldn’t I like him?”

 

“Ever since we started seeing each other, I haven’t been able to spend as much time with you and Wonshik. I wouldn’t be surprised if you blamed Hongbin for that” Sanghyuk explains, paying close attention to the reaction he’d get.

 

Jaehwan wets his lips nervously as he thinks of a response. Hyuk’s eyes dart to his tongue for a split second before returning to meet his gaze. 

 

“Hongbin is a good person” he replies, “But you and I are best friends. It makes me sad that we don’t hang out anymore. Ravi feels the same way.”

 

“I still spend time with you Jaehwan, but I have to make sacrifices now that I’m with Hongbin. It’s hard enough for me to find time for my boyfriend now that I’m working two jobs” Hyuk says. 

 

“You spend time with Wonshik, Hakyeon, Taekwoon, and I when you’re not with Hongbin” Ken starts, not meeting his eyes, “You never spend time with any of us one on one.”

 

“It’s just you and me now” Hyuk counters, starting to feel frustrated. He knows that Jaehwan lives off of attention, but he didn’t realize he was  _ this _ clingy. 

 

Jaehwan looks back at Hyuk, anger flashing in his eyes. Sanghyuk is taken aback by the expression. He’s only seen Ken mad a couple of times in his whole life, and he didn’t understand why he was so upset now. 

 

“You only came here to talk about Hongbin” Jaehwan argues, voice low and serious.

 

Sanghyuk doesn’t think, he only reacts. He stands from the couch, hands clenched into fists as he glares at Ken. “I came here because you’re my friend! I thought you cared about me! But I guess I was wrong!”

 

The brunet opens his mouth but stops himself from saying whatever insult he probably had planned. 

 

Silence falls over the two and Sanghyuk starts to regret what he said. Of course, Jaehwan cares about him. That’s abundantly clear. 

 

He lets his body relax as he turns away from his hyung to gather his thoughts. 

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Sanghyuk turns to him in shock. He wasn’t expecting an apology. It’s not like what Ken said was wrong. Sanghyuk only came to talk about his problems, he didn’t even consider his friend’s feelings about it.

 

“You don’t ha-” he starts, but Ken interrupts. 

 

“Stop. I am a bad friend. I’m sorry I’m getting in the way of your love life” he apologizes bitterly, moving away from the couch and towards the front door. 

 

Hyuk follows him to the entrance, panic starting to flare up. “I didn’t mean it Jaehwan! I’m just overly emotional right now.”

 

“You wouldn’t have said it if it wasn’t true” Jaehwan reasons as he puts his shoes on, grabbing for the door knob. 

 

Sanghyuk catches his wrist before he can reach the handle. “Just listen to me!” he pleads, fingernails digging into his skin. 

 

Jaehwan freezes and cringes at the pain of the grip. Hyuk takes the opportunity to pull him into a hug. Jaehwan tenses in his hold but Sanghyuk pays it no mind. 

 

“I’m sorry. If you’re a bad friend, then I’m a horrible one” he tells him, “We can just be terrible friends together.”

 

Jaehwan’s arms slowly wrap around Hyuk to return the hug. He nuzzles his face into Hyuk’s shoulder and the younger is sure he feels something wet seep through his shirt.

 

“I’m sorry too. I don’t know why I’m acting like this.”

 

Sanghyuk smiles at the words, “I’ve never seen you act like that before.”

 

“I just realized something,” Jaehwan says as he pulls out of the hug. There’s a lopsided smile on his face that has Sanghyuk smiling even wider. “I was going to storm out of  _ my own _ house.”

 

The two of them start laughing hysterically. The thought never even crossed Hyuk’s mind he was so busy trying to calm down the other. Once they’ve gotten out of their laughing fit, Sanghyuk notices his friend’s watery eyes. 

 

“Wow, I got to see you angry and cry in one day!  That’s rare” he jokes, startling Ken. 

 

He wipes his eyes in embarrassment. “Oh, whatever. Let’s just watch Harry Potter like we used to or something.”

 

Hyuk nods, “That sounds great.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah.... so I planned out every single chapter of this story. Imagine my surprise when this entire chapter went from happy to dramatic! XD
> 
> Anyway, here are the updated suicide guesses!  
> Hongbin- 2  
> Hakyeon- 1  
> Wonshik, Taekwoon, Jaehwan, Sanghyuk- 0
> 
> Thanks for leaving kudos, commenting, subscribing, bookmarking, reading, and whatever else! <3 <3 <3


	12. November 4th, 2014

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hongbin takes Hyuk out for a date, but the destination is a surprise!

“You’re awfully quiet,” Hongbin says, eyes focused on the road as he drives. 

 

“I didn’t notice” Sanghyuk replies, sounding guarded in some way. 

 

Hongbin is confused by his boyfriend’s tone. The half an hour the two had spent together, Hyuk had only spoken a couple of sentences. Now, he almost seems angry with him and Hongbin doesn’t really know why. 

 

“Are you okay, Hyukkie?” 

 

Silence is the only answer he gets this time. 

 

As he approaches a red light, Hongbin finally gets the chance to look over at his boyfriend. Sanghyuk’s looking out the passenger window, hands in his lap, and fingers fidgeting slightly. 

 

“Hyukkie?” 

 

“I’m fine.” The response is short and final. 

 

Hongbin knows that Sanghyuk isn’t in the mood to talk. It upsets him, though. Couples are supposed to talk about their feelings. At least, Hyuk was always trying to get Hongbin to open up with him more, which was admittedly hard for him to do. 

 

Now, Hyuk is the one hiding something from him. 

 

Hongbin averts his eyes from Sanghyuk and back to the road. The light turns green just in time and he continues driving in silence. 

 

He tries to think about the nearing holidays, his friends, his stressful job, and anything else that can come to mind. But he isn’t able to focus on anything for long, anything other than Hyuk. 

 

Honestly, Hyuk is probably irritated with how long it’s been since him and Hongbin have gone on a date. With his new job, he doesn’t have as much free time anymore, and when he does, he’s usually to exhausted to seek his boyfriend out. 

 

He feels a little guilty about it. 

 

“Where are we going?” 

 

Hongbin startles at the words. He didn’t think Sanghyuk was going to speak up ever again, but he did. 

 

“It’s a secret.”

 

Sanghyuk sighs in annoyance, “It’s been weeks since our last date and now you won’t even give me a straight answer?”

 

“I’m trying to surprise you. Doesn’t that seem more fun?” 

 

“Can you at least tell me how much longer this drive is going to take?” 

 

Hongbin chews on his bottom lip nervously. He wonders if he should just go drive to a fancy restaurant instead of his original plan. He didn’t want Sanghyuk to ruin his surprise because of his bad mood. 

 

“Ten minutes,” he reveals, deciding to stick with his intended destination. 

 

Hongbin hates the hush that falls over them again. He’s a talkative guy and he doesn't think he deserves this treatment. 

 

“Did I do something to make you mad?” he asks, hoping he isn’t ignored. 

 

“Do you want to be with me?” Sanghyuk questions out of nowhere. 

 

“Of course, I do.”

 

“Then why does it seem like something’s holding you back?”

 

Hongbin’s brows furrow in confusion. He isn’t being held back by anything, so what was Hyuk really saying?

 

“Are you sure  _ you _ want to be with  _ me _ ?” he asks the younger instead. 

 

“Of course, I want to be with you! I love you!” Sanghyuk replies defensively. 

 

“I love you too.”

 

“If that’s the case then why do-!?” 

 

Sanghyuk stops talking when Hongbin suddenly pulls into a driveway. Hongbin removes the key from the ignition and faces Hyuk with an expectant look. 

 

“What were you saying?”

 

Sanghyuk glances away from Hongbin to take in the unfamiliar house in front of them . It’s a small ranch home, with another car parked in the driveway too. The other vehicle is empty, signaling that someone is most likely inside the house. 

 

“What are we doing here?” Hyuk asks.

 

“This is my parent’s place.”

 

Sanghyuk’s eyes widen comically and Hongbin can’t help but smile a little bit. 

 

“What!? But I thought that you-.”

 

Hongbin cuts him off with a short but meaningful kiss. When he pulls away, he takes in the flushed face of his boyfriend. 

 

“You should stop assuming things, Hyukkie,” he smiles affectionately. 

 

Sanghyuk turns away in embarrassment, “Yeah, well, forget what we were talking about earlier.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Hongbin turns away to open his door, but Hyuk grabs his wrist all of a sudden. He stops his movement to look back at Sanghyuk. 

 

“Um...,” he starts, unsure of himself, “What if your parents don’t like me?”

 

Hongbin chuckles and ruffles Sanghyuk’s hair. “You’re too cute for them not to like you!” 

 

Sanghyuk’s eyes light up at the compliment and Hongbin knows everything’s good between them again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Hongbin and Sanghyuk are back on good terms... for now! HAHAHAHA
> 
> Updated Suicide Guesses:  
> Hongbin- 2  
> Hakyeon- 2  
> Jaehwan- 1  
> Wonshik, Sanghyuk, Taekwoon- 0


	13. December 25th, 2014

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group of six celebrates together!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry!! I was supposed to update this a week ago but then I didn't. I'M SUPER SORRY!!! FORGIVE ME! D:

“Hey Leo, you should sing us a Christmas carol,” Wonshik suggests for the nth time. 

 

Taekwoon turns his head to give Wonshik an ominously blank expression and Ken begins to worry for the safety of his friend’s life. 

 

“He’s just messing around!” Jaehwan defends him with a forced laugh. Damage control isn't his forte, but ever since Leo joined their group he’s had to adapt. 

 

Taekwoon glances at Jaehwan and then turns away to continue drinking his hot chocolate. The man seems to have put himself into an imaginary world where Wonshik no longer exists. 

 

“Awww, why’d you have to ruin the moment? I think he was finally going to say yes,” Ravi says with a joking pout. 

 

“Seriously, when did you become the cute one in the group?” Ken asks as he squeezes Ravi’s puffed out cheeks.

 

Hakyeon groans from next to Ken, “Very funny Jaehwannie~. But we all know that you think I’m the cutest here!”  

 

“Sure...” he pretends to agree with the delusional male. 

 

He’d rather not ruin the mood at the party, but Ken promised himself that he would eventually ask Hakyeon to stop trying to get with him. It was Christmas Night after all and their first celebrated holiday as a group of six, not counting any birthday parties. 

 

Every past year, Ken, Hyuk, and Ravi would go to Ken’s place to exchange gifts, drink hot cocoa, and hang out. None of them actually celebrated the holiday in a religious way, though. They saw it in an American movie once and thought it would be fun to replicate it for kicks and giggles. Also, they weren’t the type to refuse presents. 

 

Leo didn’t voice his opinion of the whole ordeal, but he showed up to the party so he must have enjoyed the idea a little bit at the very least. Hongbin was enthralled by the celebration and wanted to please Sanghyuk a lot too. Hakyeon had originally said that practicing a holiday that they didn’t believe in was disrespectful and stupid, but his demeanor completely changed when he learned how much it meant to Jaehwan. 

 

Jaehwan eyes the small Christmas tree in the corner of his living room. The bristles are white and clearly fake but Jaehwan likes the way the color contrasts with the blue and silver ornaments. There are six presents below the tree, begging to be opened. 

 

In the past, they would buy a gift for everyone involved, but no one wanted to spend the extra money for the three new attendees. Instead, they decided to do secret Santas this year. 

 

The medium sized box wrapped in white construction paper with hearts drawn onto it is Jaehwan’s gift to Ravi. 

 

Upon drawing the random name, he was ecstatic. He didn’t have a clue what kind of things Hongbin, Taekwoon, and Hakyeon liked.

 

Inside the box is a chic snapback that he knows Wonshik will love. 

 

‘I wonder who my secret Santa is...’ he thinks to himself off-handedly. 

 

“You know, I really thought they were getting better about their PDA” Wonshik comments in a low voice. He doesn’t want the mentioned couple to overhear him. 

 

Jaehwan glances away from the array of presents and over to the couple sitting on the couch. Sanghyuk is seated in Hongbin’s lap with their arms wrapped around each other. They’re having a conversation that has both of them sporting flirtatious smiles. They take a break to laugh every now and then. When they do, Hyuk hides his face in Hongbin’s neck because he thinks he has an ugly laugh and Hongbin massages the younger’s scalp sweetly. 

 

Ken exhales a heavy breath at the sight. They’re really cute together and it’s obvious that they’re in love. 

 

Hakyeon raises an eyebrow at Jaehwan. “Are you okay?” 

 

“It’s just tha-” he stops mid-sentence, deciding to keep the couple’s drama a secret, “I’m fine.” 

 

The finality in Ken’s sentence isn’t any more reassuring but Hakyeon shrugs it off. 

 

‘I can’t believe they’re all lovey-dovey when a month ago Hyuk was ready to break up.’ 

 

Jaehwan feels an elbow nudge his side and he looks up to see a concerned Ravi staring at him. 

 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks as his eyes fall to look at Jaehwan’s hands. 

 

Ken follows his gaze only to realize that he’s clutching his coffee mug so tightly that his knuckles have turned unusually white. In his surprise, he loosens his grip, only for the mug to slip and fall to the floor. The contents of the cup spill into Jaehwan’s lap and he yelps at the hot liquid seeping through the crotch of his jeans. 

 

At the sound of the mug crashing to the floor, everyone turns to look at Jaehwan. Wonshik crouches down to pick up the pieces of the shattered cup without anyone asking him to and Hakyeon stays still for a second before he gasps loudly and runs for a nearby washcloth. Jaehwan assumes Hakyeon is going to clean the puddle on the kitchen tiles but instead he reaches for Jaehwan’s groin. 

 

Jaehwan tenses in shock when N starts rubbing the small towel against his jeans. He unintentionally, or maybe intentionally, rubs against Jaehwan’s clothed dick in an almost sensual way. He grips onto Hakyeon’s wrist at the same time he bites back a moan. The older’s movements stop and he gives Ken an innocent look. 

 

“I’m just trying to help.” 

 

That’s the last straw for Jaehwan as he drags N down his hallway and into his bedroom, ignoring all of the concerned questions of his friends. 

 

“Do you have a  _ special _ gift for me Jaehwannie? Is that why we’re in here?” 

 

The brunet tightens his hold on Hakyeon’s wrist, digging his fingernails into smooth, tan skin. His eyes are full of fury but the other is just smirking. 

 

“How’d you know I like it rough?” 

 

“Shut up!” Ken shouts, “Stop fucking harassing me all of the time! Can’t you take a hint? I’m not interested in you!”

 

Hakyeon’s lips tilt down into a small frown, “I’m not hurting you or anything.”

 

“I don’t care! I’m not interested, okay!? So stop acting like I’m into your little game cause it’s pissing me off!” 

 

Hakyeon winces at the words but Jaehwan is too enraged to notice. 

 

“I can’t believe what you did out there! Our friends were watching as you practically groped me! It was humiliating and I can’t take it anymore. You’re fucking annoying!” 

 

Hakyeon suddenly pulls his arm back, tearing his wrist free from Ken’s painful grasp. His eyes are brimmed with tears and burning with anger. “If I’m so fucking annoying, then why didn’t you tell me to stop sooner!? We’ve known each other for months!  _ Months _ ! You say I’m playing a game with you? Well, what makes  _ you _ any better than  _ me _ !?” 

 

Jaehwan’s eyes widen when he sees the watering eyes of his friend. Even though he’s upset with him, he still likes his personality and cares for him. His words sting too. Ken knows he’s in the wrong as well, as much as he hates to admit it. 

 

“Hakyeon.”

 

“SHUT UP!” he yells in anguish. He starts pounding his fists against Jaehwan’s chest, though the action is weak through the sobs racking his slender body. 

 

Jaehwan isn’t mad anymore. If anything, he feels like a complete asshole. He reaches his arms out and pulls the older into a gentle hug. 

 

Hakyeon doesn’t have it in himself to struggle and rests his forehead against the brunet’s shoulder. His body's still shaking as he cries but it’s not as heart-wrenching. 

 

Jaehwan runs a hand soothingly down N’s back as he tries to calm himself down. “Hakyeon, I’m sorry.”

 

“Stop it” he sniffles in a weak attempt to silence the person he’s still sort of mad at. 

 

“I should have told you how I felt right away and I shouldn’t have been a dick about it. I don’t know what’s wrong with me and I’m not going to make any excuses for my behavior either. I’m sorry.”

 

N stills as the apology flows out of Jaehwan’s mouth. 

 

“I didn’t mean to hurt you and I don’t want you to despise me. I like spending time with you. You’re funny, nice, an-.”

 

“I forgive you.”

 

“Really!?” 

 

“I forgive you for yelling at me but I’m not going to change just because you don’t like me back. If I really bother you then you can stop being my friend or get a restraining order or something, but I’m not giving up on you.”

 

“Why?” He still doesn’t understand what Hakyeon sees in him. 

 

“Are you giving me the okay to flirt with you again?” Hakyeon asks and Jaehwan can tell he’s grinning now. 

 

“...I guess” He gives in. He feels bad about his initial rage and he doesn’t want to screw up his friendship. At least now he knows that he won’t be stringing the older male along anymore. 

 

“Great!” N exclaims as he brings a hand to Jaehwan’s ass and gives it a playful squeeze. He relishes in the sharp intake of breath that Ken takes and jumps away just in case the younger male retaliates. 

 

Ken is taken aback by the action at first but then he decides to accept it and giggles. He’s always liked being the center of attention so he really shouldn’t care about the constant passes at him anymore. 

 

Hakyeon smiles brightly at Jaehwan’s good reaction and finds himself joining in the laughter. Once they calm down again Hakyeon wets his lips nervously and Ken knows that something’s up. 

 

“What is it now?” 

 

“Oh, I was just thinking about the present I got you...”

 

\----

 

An hour later and the six friends are celebrating happily again. No one knows what went down in Jaehwan’s bedroom and they don’t ask. Hakyeon continues to relentlessly flirt with him, but now he isn’t annoyed by it. 

 

When they finally get to open their presents the mood lightens even more. 

 

Wonshik puts his hat on as soon as he opens the gift, Taekwoon has the faintest of smiles when he receives Jagariko Potato Sticks from Ravi, and Hongbin is satisfied with the gift card he gets from Leo. When Hyuk opens his gift from Hongbin, he throws himself onto the other and starts a heated makeout session. Leo has to pull Hyuk off of Hongbin to stop them from fucking right then and there. 

 

Jaehwan peeks into the now opened box to see some sort of necklace. Upon further inspection, he realizes that there are two. Hyuk’s reaction still seems extreme even if Hongbin got him a couple necklace. Maybe he doesn’t understand because he’s never dated before. 

 

Hakyeon opens his present in all of the chaos and doesn’t look too thrilled. “Hyuk, what is this exactly?” 

 

The blond perks up at the use of his name and smiles widely. “It’s a hair clip, hyung!” 

 

N lifts the hair clip so that the rest of the group can see it. It’s actually a fake, red azalea with a clip on the back. It would look good on a girl but it’s not the kind of thing a guy normally wears. 

 

“You should put it on. You’ll look hot,” Ravi teases.

 

Of course, N is oblivious to the joking tone. “Wow! Really!?” He eagerly clips the azalea into his hair, above his right ear and searches the other’s face for signs of approval. “Am I hot?” 

 

Ken feels bad when he sees that his friends are trying not to laugh. Even Leo is looking down at the floor so that no one can see him smiling. 

 

“You look great” he compliments N. He’s not really lying. Hakyeon is attractive on his own, but the flower adds an exotic feel about him. 

 

“Thanks!” 

 

Jaehwan blushes at how ecstatic the older male is from the simple compliment. To hide his embarrassment, he grabs the present that N got for him. The wrapping paper is a shimmering black with a silky red ribbon tied around it. 

 

His face blanks when he opens the gift. 

 

Inside is a furry pair of hot pink handcuffs and a small bottle of lube. He closes the box and quickly pulls it into his arms so that no one else can see what he got. 

 

“I love it! Thanks!” He’s completely flustered and he’ll probably never use the items but he feels the need to be polite. 

  
A sly smile spreads across Hakyeon’s face. “I bet you do,” he says with a wink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! I completed the first year cycle of three! That's means we're 1/3 of the way done. The drama is gonna increase now so buckle up!!  
> Thanks for reading and stuff! :3
> 
> Updated Suicide Guesses:  
> Hongbin- 2  
> Hakyeon- 3  
> Jaehwan- 1  
> Sanghyuk- 1  
> Wonshik and Taekwoon- 0
> 
> Edit:
> 
> SUPER IMPORTANT UPDATE!
> 
> I'm going away tomorrow (September 20th) and I won't be back for a long time. Specifically, I'm heading off to Texas for basic training/ tech school. I won't have any access to technology for a while and when I have the freedom to use my laptop, I probably won't have time to write or post chapters...
> 
> I will be able to read and reply to comments mid-November (when I graduate from basic). I will also add one chapter to every story I'm writing in December (when I get to come home for two weeks to celebrate the holidays). I'll be back for good in February and then I'll become an active author again.
> 
> Long story short: I'll be gone for a while. I'll update this story in December. I'll be active again in February and every month after that. I plan on finishing this story. I'm sorry that this temporary break is going to happen but my life comes before my hobbies.
> 
> Thanks for your understanding. <3


End file.
